Well, folks, we are on the precipice of basketball season. This means that the next two months of our lives will be consumed with running around to practices, the constant rhythm of bouncing basketballs, and cold gym seats. As we started practices this past week, I honestly loved getting to watch our two older boys in the gym. They have both been working hard on their athleticism and agility, practicing together at home, and anxiously awaiting the start of the…
Growing up, we lived on a small piece of property in the perfect little rural neighborhood. Our driveway was flanked by two strong oak trees. My parents planted them when they moved to the land, and they quickly grew to be distinguished markers of our front yard. It was under these oaks that I can remember all of my childhood dreams coming to life. My daddy rode me in circles on our horse around these trees, my legs hardly long…
It’s been five years. Five years of holding on and five years of letting go… Dear Jacob, Today has been five years since we saw your face for a moment and gave you right to Jesus. It feels quite strange to me that so much time has passed and yet it seems I’ve lived a thousand lives since you left us. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who remembers you. Like maybe you existed only in my mind….
We thought we had escaped it, honestly. Being in public or meeting new people, we would affirm that yes, we had three boys, and their eyes would widen. “Must be rough at your house! What with all the wrestling and fighting and boy stuff?” And I would smile sweetly [I would only later come to understand this as naive], and I would say, “They actually get along really well! They are the best of friends. I guess we should be…
Thanksgiving feast day in first grade. It’s a good one. My baby boy’s precious teacher made sure every detail was just perfect. They set the table with perfect etiquette, used their manners, had little gentlemen pull out chairs for little ladies, and even blessed the meal in our wonderful little public school. The placemats for each student included a handprint turkey, several sentences about what they were thankful for, and then– the best part– every student wrote down what they…
I am tired. I am maybe more tired than I’ve ever been. I let the words tumble around numbly in my brain. I’m not sure I’m referring to physical exhaustion, but rather the exhaustion that occurs when life meets the intricate balance of chaotic and mundane. It seems that way sometimes, doesn’t it? We find ourselves on the hamster wheel as each day greets us with complete chaos while also offering nothing different from the day before, and before, and…
Today, my brother and his wife celebrate ten years of marriage. A whole decade of matrimony coupled with another decade or so of living life together having been together since they were barely teenagers. To celebrate their anniversary, they recently took a trip to Utah to do some hiking and exploring and adventuring. The photos from their trip were breathtaking. Steep mountains and canyons bursting with color, rippling creeks and passageways, wildlife and sprouts of greenery along the trails like…
I am part of a club that I did not ask to join. I did not seek out its membership. I did not research its culture. I whole-heartedly wish that my membership might expire and I could find an escape. But here I am. A member for life. If you’re new here, you probably know me as a former teacher, accomplice to a restauranteur, wife and momma of three boys. But you are mistaken. There are four. There will always…
Twelve weeks and two days. That’s how long I’ve been waiting for our metal shop to be installed. And in all honesty, I could say 146 weeks or nearly three years because that’s the amount of time that we have been living here in the middle of the woods in the great state of Texas with little to no outside storage. Lord Jesus help. Now, all of this might sound a bit dramatic to the common passerby, but have you…
About two months ago, sweet husband and I started working out with a trainer. About a month ago, he made us start boxing. Not each other, though that might be an interesting way to sort out simple marital spats. Just whole body training through boxing. Y’all, I can’t explain it, but I absolutely love it. We go and we wear ourselves out and we leave and we get home and I am already counting the moments until we get to…